Symphonia After the Tales
by ninja writer 17
Summary: You know how it ends? But do you know what happens after? Big shout out to L'Archel-Hotishi, whose story, "After the Sun Shined" Inspired me to make my own story about after the ending.
1. Chapter 1

Symphonia after the tales

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters or game title

Chapter 1: The good ending is the great beginning

(A/N: Spoiler Alert! Don't read unless you've beaten the second ToS game)

Marta was standing in disbelief, "It-it can't be…" she said. She didn't believe it, there in front of her stood someone she thought she'd never see again, someone who meant the whole world to her and then some. After said character scratched the back of his head, she couldn't contain herself anymore. She ran straight for him, leaping into his arms, "Emil!" She said joyfully as the young blonde spun her around (due to how fast she jumped at him.). When they stopped spinning, Marta looked up to his eyes, "How? How is it possible?" Emil just smiled at her, "Nothing could keep me from wanting to be with you again." He said. This caught the young girl off-guard, first off, that was perhaps the most romantic thing he had ever said to her. Second, he said it without stuttering, or sounding nervous. Marta blushed, "E-Emil… I-I can't believe it. You're really here." He nodded, "Yeah, and I'm here to stay. Is that alright?" He asked, that last part held his usual boy-ish timidity. Marta giggled then leaned closer, "Nothing could make me happier." Rather than say 'thank you' like she thought he would, Emil instead, closed the distance, and kissed her.

Marta willingly, and happily returned the kiss. They stayed like this for several more seconds, until someone who was passing by whistled at them, causing them to separate. After that, Emil then took Marta's hand in his own, "Why don't we go to the inn and catch up there?" He asked, Marta smiled, giving a simple nod as a response. When the two arrived in their room, they both sat down on one of the beds, "So, Emil…" Said Marta, trying to figure out how to say it, "How are you able to be here? I thought you had to protect the otherworldly gate?" (A/N: I am not even going to try and spell its real name so just deal with it!) Emil looked off in the distance, "Well, it was actually Richter's idea. He offered himself as a physical vessel for Rattatosk. And Verius was able to give me my own life." Marta was at a loss for words, "So, does this mean that it's just you? No more Rattatosk, or Astor?" Emil looked her in the eyes, "Yeah, it's just me, Marta. But that's not what I want." Marta cocked her head, "What do you mean?" Emil got up from the bed and stood right in front of her, "I mean, that I want someone to be with me, and I can't think of anyone better than you Marta. So….will you…be m-my…g-girl..Friend?" Marta grinned mischievously, "What's that? Couldn't hear you." She lied, she heard him loud and clear, but she wanted him to be more confident when he said it. Emil stuttered for a moment, "I said. Marta, will you be my girlfriend?" Marta was now crying tears of joy. Her dreams she's had ever since she met him have finally come true, "Oh, Emil." She stood up and embraced him, "Yes." Emil sighed in relief as he returned the hug.

After that was decided, Emil and Marta decided to stay the night, since that's what they paid for anyway. Emil slept in the bed to the left of the room, and Marta on the one to the right. At around midnight, Emil started tossing and turning in his sleep, "No….what..?" He mumbled. These actions had accidentally woken Marta up, she sat up and looked over to see Emil sleeping restlessly, _"__What in the world could he be dreaming about?"_ she thought. Just then Emil started screaming in his sleep, "NO! No don't!" he yelled. Marta jumped out of her bed and ran to his side, "Emil!" She called out, he didn't respond, he just kept screaming. Marta then noticed him saying, "No! Marta please! Please don't go!" Marta then brought her head down and whispered in his ear, "It's ok Emil. I'm right here. I'm never going to leave you." Emil started to calm down, but still was restless. Marta kissed him on the cheek, "I'll always be there for you. I love you Emil." Emil's eyes shot open, and he sat up instantly, breathing heavy. Marta placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you ok?" She asked with a lot of concern in her voice, Emil looked to her and smiled, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine now." He wrapped his arm around her, "I love you too." He said while kissing her on the cheek, causing the young girl to blush. A few minutes past and they went back to sleep. Emil didn't have any more nightmares, but he was still confused and haunted by the one, _"__What was that? I saw a big room, filled with a lot of people, I was standing next to someone. But who? And why was Marta so mad about it in my dream? None of this makes sense, it's my Richter killing me dreams all over again."_

Meanwhile, in the upper section of Palmocosta, a servant ran through a hallway, opening the doors with force, "This had better be good, if you want me to forget that you barged in here without my permission." Said a feminine voice in a cold tone, the servant bowed his head, "It is milady, Emil Castagnier is alive, and he's here in Palmocosta." The woman, still veiled by shadows, turned to her servant, "I see. I will forgive you for barging in." The servant smiled, "Thank you milady." "In exchange," the girl said, "I want you to follow him for the next few days, and report to me at the end of each day where he is." The servant bowed and walked out of the room. A discomforting grin came on the girls face, "At last, you and I can fulfill our parents' wishes."

(A/N: Emil and Marta have been reunited, but with the strange nightmare haunting Emil, and this new mystery girl. Is there adventure truly over?)


	2. Chapter 2:Re-united

Chapter 2: Re-united

Morning came quickly for Emil and Marta. Once they were up and dressed, Marta spoke up, "So, any more nightmares last night?"

Emil shook his head, "No, but it's weird, it felt the same as when I was dreaming that Richter was killing me." Marta instantly became worried.

"What happened in your dream?" Emil closed his eyes, trying to remember any specific details that he might know.

"I'm not too sure, it wasn't very clear." He said, "All I know for sure is, there were a lot of people, and that you were mad at me and were about to walk away." The thought of that had caused some tears to fall.

"Oh, Emil." Said Marta, while embracing him, "Don't worry, you've never done anything that would make me want to do that."

Emil returned the hug, "What about when I acted so cruel in the temple of lightning?" He asked, Marta looked up to see that his face told her that he was just teasing.

She punched his arm playfully, "That doesn't count." Emil nudged at Marta's arm.

"I think it does count since you slapped me in the face."

Marta giggled, "No," she said, nudging Emil in the arm, "I slapped Rattatosk, not you."

Emil smiled and gently shoved her, "Wasn't it you who always said that I was me, no matter what?" Marta looked for a comeback, but couldn't find one.

She made a fake pout, "You're too good at this game."

Emil chuckled and wrapped her up in his arms, "Don't worry Marta, I'm sure that it was just some random dream." He lied, he knew it was more than just a bad dream. Marta nodded, knowing full-well that he was lying, but chose to go along with it.

The new couple walked outside of the inn, Marta then spoke up, "I sent out a message to Lloyd and the others about you being back before I went to bed last night. They're expecting us in Altamira. Do you want to go?"

Emil looked at her and nodded, "Ok, but how do we get there?"

Marta pointed to the harbor, "There's a ferry heading for Altamira in an hour. We can go on that." She said.

Emil's face grew very concerned, "What? But you'll get sick!"

Marta giggled and pulled out a little bottle, "These are the Lezareno Company motion sickness pills that Regal mentioned once. They work really well."

Emil was still a little nervous about all of it, but chose to trust that the pills would do their job, "Well…ok, but if you start feeling sick, you tell me right away." Marta nodded, smiling warmly at Emil due to his concern for her.

As they began to walk to the harbor, the servant was watching them from a distance, his face grew pale at the mentioning of Altamira, _"__I mustn't let Lord Emil leave for very long, and that girl would get in the way…what to do?"_ Then he had an idea. He rushed over to meet them, "Excuse me! Wait!" Emil and Marta turned to see the strange man dressed in a butler uniform.

Emil was the first to respond, "Can we help you sir?" he asked.

The man nodded, "Yes. Young man, are you perhaps…" he looked at a blank sheet of paper from his pocket, feigning obliviousness, "Emil Castagnier?" Emil nodded. The man bowed, "My master requests your presence at the manor."

Emil looked at Marta, "Well, I was on my way to join up with some friends of mine..."

"The time is not important, my orders were to inform you, and request you visit at any time that is convenient for you today." The man said, cutting him off.

Emil looked to Marta, she nodded, "Where do we go to meet your master?" Marta asked.

The man bowed his head again, "My apologies, but the invitation is for Mr. Castagnier only. He must come to the manor alone."

Marta grew confused, as did Emil, "Where does your 'master' live?" Emil asked.

The man took a card out from his jacket pocket, "This card has everything you need to know about how to get there. Shall I send your acceptance to the invitation?" Emil looked at the card, then to Marta, then to the man.

After a moment of thought, Emil nodded, "Ok, I'll come by as soon as I get back."

The man smiled, "Splendid, you've no idea how important this is to my master, she will be most pleased."

Gears started turning in Marta's mind when the man revealed the master-in-question to be a female, _"__She? Manor? Only invites Emil? Could it be?"_

The man snuck a look at Marta, _"__Damn! She noticed the flaw in my façade!" _The man bowed once more, "Well, I must be off, adieu." He left before Marta was able to ask about the "master"

Emil noticed that Marta was rather mad about something. He turned to her, "Marta? Is everything ok?"

Marta snapped out of her trance, "Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine. It's just…"

Emil cocked his head, "It's what?"

Marta shook her head, and looked away, "It's nothing."

Emil wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in for comfort, "I know that's not true. What's the matter?"

Marta continued to look away for a while, "The 'master' that guy mentioned, is a girl. I just assumed that it was some kind of hook up idea or something." Emil tightened his grip on her, causing her to look up at him.

"Marta," he said softly, "don't worry, even if you're right, you're the one I want to be with. Not some stuck-up rich girl."

Marta smiled as she leaned up and kissed Emil, who returned the favor. When they separated Marta smiled, "Thanks Emil, I needed that."

Emil then put his teasing face on, "What I said, or the kiss?"

Marta giggled, "Both." They laughed together on their way to the harbor.

3 hours later, Emil and Marta got off the ferry. Emil was glad to know that the pills kept Marta from being sick, but he could tell that she was worried the whole boat trip there. Before he could ask about it, he heard a voice call out.

"Emil! Marta!" It was Colette. The chosen ran quickly to meet her friends, "Emil it's great to see you again. Lloyd was so confident that you were going to come back." She said.

Emil smiled, "Well, I'm just glad to be back with Marta. A-and you along with the others of course… ha-ha." Colette laughed and Marta blushed at Emil's statement.

"Speaking of," Said Zelos, who had revealed himself to be standing nearby, "that notice Marta sent, got to us before sunset. You guys do anything that might make me proud?" Marta glared at Zelos.

Meanwhile Emil, being the oblivious that he was, cocked his head, "What do you mean?"

Zelos smirked, some-what hoping he'd ask that, "I'm talking about se-YAAAAGGGH!"

He was interrupted by Sheena, who had just kicked him across the room from behind, "Honestly, do you really need to put ideas like THAT into people's heads!? I swear you are such an idiot!" she yelled at the red-head.

Emil leaned over to Marta, "What do you think he was talking about?" He whispered.

Marta shook her head, "Some things are just better left unsaid." She whispered back angrily. Emil thought of a way to help her though, he gave Marta a quick kiss on the cheek. As soon as she felt the kiss, all her anger just melted away.

Sheena then walked up to the two, "Great to see you both together. We all agreed that you two were a cute couple." Neither one responded, they were both too busy blushing. Sheena just smirked, _"__You've found yourself a good one, Marta. Wish I was that lucky."_

Sheena and Colette led the two into the inn, where everyone else waited. The first to see everyone walk in was Lloyd, "Hey, there you guys are." He said, walking up to join them, "Zelos left a while ago to wait for you, what happened?" he asked.

"You don't want to know." Sheena and Marta said in unison. The rest of the evening went off normally. Everyone expressing their joy to see Emil, and congratulating them on getting together.

The time flew by, and as Emil looked at the clock, he realized it was 3:00 in the afternoon, "Well," he said to Marta, "I'd better catch a ferry back to Palmocosta to head to that manor."

Marta was sad to know he was leaving, "Ok, I'm gonna be here tonight. See you tomorrow?" He smiled and nodded.

As Emil left the room, Presea went over to Marta, "I'm surprised at how calm you are about this." She said.

Marta gave the girl a confused look, "What are you talking about?" She asked, "He's just going to some meeting or whatever."

Presea shook her head, "If that were true, I don't think he'd have to go alone. If I were in your position, I'd probably think that this woman is going to seduce him, and make fall in love with her.

Marta's face grew mortified. Without a single word, she rushed out the door to catch up to Emil. Then, everyone else in the room stared at the young girl, "Presea!" They yelled in unison.

The young girl simply cocked her head, "What?"

Before he opened the doors to exit the inn, he heard footsteps moving towards him, "Emil! Wait!" Marta called. Emil turned around, before he could say anything, Marta had pushed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. Emil was stunned at first, but returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist. After one minute, Marta pulled back, "I love you Emil. I love you more than anything else. Promise me that you'll be here tomorrow. Promise me that you'll be the first person I see at the harbor."

Emil smiled, "I promise Marta. I'll catch an overnight ferry to be here by the time you get up. I love you." With another kiss, this one much shorter than the last, he left.


	3. Chapter 3: You're my what!

Chapter 3: You're my what?!

By the time Emil returned to Palmocosta, it was 6:15. He pulled out the card and followed the instructions. As he walked, he noticed something weird about his path, _"__I've never been in this part of Palmocosta, but it feels familiar, maybe the original Emil went down this way when he was alive?"_ Once he reached the manor, he was greeted by the man he saw earlier.

The man bowed, "Welcome sir, or I suppose I should say, welcome back."

Emil wasn't sure what that meant, but figured it wasn't important, "By the way, I never got your name." he asked.

"I am Johnson. Now if you will follow me, I shall guide you to my master." Emil nodded. Johnson led Emil into a large room. Footsteps could be heard from behind a curtain. Johnson knelt down and said, "Allow me to introduce: Lady Amy. My master, and head of this house." Amy was the same age as Emil, wearing a fancy, white dress with pink highlights. Her eyes were a yellow-orange color, but what Emil noticed mostly, was her hair. It was long, blonde hair, being fashioned in a way that sent chills down Emil's spine.

Emil walked up to her and bowed his head slightly, "It's nice to meet you, Lady Amy."

Amy was somewhat surprised, _"__Nice to meet you? Does he not remember?"_ She smiled and nodded, she then looked at her servant, "That will be all, Johnson."

The man bowed, "Yes milady." And exited.

As soon as he left, Amy looked at Emil, "Tell me, Emil. Do you really not remember me? Or were you just putting on a show for my butler?"

Emil gave her a strange look, "Uh…I don't remember meeting you before. Although you do vaguely remind me of someone."

Amy watched as he shuddered and giggled, "Judging by your expression, I'd say you are referring to my twin sister."

Emil was shocked to hear that, "Really?"

Amy nodded, "Yes, she joined some liberation force. Her name is Alice. Sound familiar?"

Emil was taken aback, "That sadist is your sister?!"

Amy laughed hearing him call her a sadist, "Yeah, she's a real beast isn't she?" She looked at Emil to see that he had a hand on his sword, ready to draw. Amy smiled, "Calm down. I'm no sadist like Alice."

Emil shook his head, "That's not why I'm on guard, I think I know why you called me here."

Amy remained confident, "I doubt it, but tell me."

Emil tightened his grip on his sword, "So you could take revenge on the man who killed your sister."

Amy laughed, "Oh no, nothing like that." Emil let go of his sword and looked at her confused, "Alice made her choice in life, and died for her cause. As far as I can see, there's no reason to avenge her." She said simply.

Emil was only getting more confused, "Then, why did you want to see me?"

Amy let out a sigh of disappointment, "It appears you have forgotten." She said, "But I guess it's no surprise. We were just kids, and then there's everything that happened after the blood purge of course. You see, Emil, we've known each other since we were infants. Our parents raised us to be close. They even talked about us getting married and uniting the two families. My family, save for me and Alice, of course, died on the blood purge, but I swore on the graves of our parents, Emil, that we would meet again, and fulfill their wishes. If you are ready, Emil, then we shall officially be engaged."

"**NO!**" he said angrily. "I don't know what you're talking about! I don't have any memory of you at all!"

Amy walked closer, "I assumed as much." She picked up a photo album.

Emil saw it in horror, _"__This is…This is me, and Amy….all of it…but…"_ Then Emil was able to make sense of his nightmare, _"__So my nightmare was of me marrying Amy, and Marta never forgiving me for it. Well I'm not letting this dream be a reality!"_ Emil handed the book back to her.

Amy looked at Emil with hope, "Does this mean you are ready now, my lord?"

Emil turned away from her, not wanting to look at her for what he says next, "I'm sorry Amy. But I can't marry you."

Amy was heartbroken, "What? Why not?" she asked, tears starting to form.

Emil placed a hand on her shoulder, "It's not you, if that's what you were thinking." He said, _"__Though it doesn't help knowing your sister was a total sadist who tried to kill me."_ Amy wiped her eyes, "To put it simply," Emil said, "I've fallen in love with someone. And I can't bring myself to hurt her. I hope you understand." Amy looked down, hiding her face.

After a moment of silence, Amy spoke up, "Was it that girl that Johnson saw you with?"

Emil nodded, "Marta, yeah."

Amy shoved Emil to the floor, "I knew it!" She yelled in anger, "I knew that stupid Mart-Mart would get in my way, just as she did my sister!" Emil stood up, growing slightly angry at hearing Alice's pet-name for Marta again. Amy continued to scream, "I won't let her! I won't let that dumb-ass Mart-Mart to-Yah!"

She got cut off by Emil sweeping her leg, then pinning her to the floor with his sword at her throat, "**THAT'S NOT HER NAME! IT'S MARTA! AND IF YOU EVER THINK OF DOING ANYTHING TO HER, THEN I WILL KILL YOU!**" He screamed with his 'Rattatosk mode' voice, since he was once a part of him, he can use either voice whenever he chooses.

Johnson heard the screaming and ran into the room, "Milady!" He brought out a long sword, not completely unlike Emil's, and fought him off of her.

After she got up, before Johnson could continue to fight, she called, "Johnson stop!" The man reluctantly agreed.

Emil sheathed his sword, "**I think I'll be going now.**" He said.

Johnson nodded, "Yes, for your sake that would be best."

Before he left, Amy spoke up, "I will not give up Emil. Our parents wanted us together. I will see their dream realized, or die trying."

Emil turned his head to face her, "Then we have nothing more to say to each other."


	4. Chapter 4: Life goes on?

Chapter 4: Life goes on?

Marta was sleeping in her bed in the Altamira hotel. Sleep did not come easy for her last night, she kept fearing that Emil would be won over by this rich girl, whoever she was. When she started to wake up, she noticed a shadow was blocking the sun from her eyes, "Who…who's there?" She asked groggily, still not fully awake.

But when she heard, "Why don't you guess?" she felt energized, her eyes focused in to see Emil sitting at her bedside. Not wasting another moment, she pulled him in and hugged him tight.

"I missed you so much last night, Emil."

He returned the hug. "I'm sorry, I got back here as quick as I could, but you were already asleep, so I chose to be the first thing you saw today."

Marta pulled back enough to look him in the eyes, "That's so romantic. Thanks Emil." Emil smiled. He leaned in to kiss her, it took every ounce of will power she had to make her stop him, "Emil, no." She whined, "I've got morning breath."

Emil just chuckled, _"__She really is cute as a button."_ he then stood up, "Well then, instead of that, how about I make some breakfast for us?"

Marta smiled, "Sounds great, you get to it, while I get showered and dressed." She said. Marta then grabbed her clothes and walked into the bathroom, before she closed the door, she popped her head out towards Emil, "And no peeking, ok peeping Tom #2?" and with a wink she closed the door.

Emil just laughed and yelled, "You're the peeker in our relationship Ms. Hot spring trap!" He could hear Marta laughing at his comeback. Emil sighed in content as he began preparing breakfast.

As Marta was showering, she couldn't help but continue to feel worried, _"__Why am I still so worried? He came back to me. So, why do I still feel doubt?"_ Marta was conflicted, while she knew Emil loved her, she also knew that something must've happened. As Marta put her clothes on, she decided, "I'm going to ask him about what happened."

After Emil finished joking with Marta, he began working on some breakfast. As he worked however, he could still hear Amy's last words, _"__I will not give up Emil. Our parents wanted us together. I will see their dream realized, or die trying." _Emil was truly worried, "That Johnson, he knows how to fight, if he comes after Marta, he might win." Emil stopped for a moment, "I won't let that happen. I'll stay by Marta's side. But we should probably stay away from Palmocosta." Emil worked on the remainder of the meal in silence. Once it was prepared, he walked to the bathroom, he knocked on the closed door, "Marta?" He called, "Breakfast is ready." He told her.

"Ok, I'll be out in just a minute." She replied.

The two enjoyed their breakfast like a couple should, not worrying about Amy, or what will come, they were just smiling, talking, and enjoying the food. Mid-way through the meal, Marta decided it was time, "Hey, Emil?"

Emil looked up, "Yes?" He asked.

"What…What happened at the manor last night?" she asked with a slight hint of fear in her voice. Emil put his utensils down, "Well, her name is Amy, and you'll never believe who her twin sister is…or was, I guess."

Marta, now simply curious, cocked her head, "Who?"

Emil looked the girl in the eyes, "Amy is the twin sister of Alice."

Marta nearly jumped out of her seat, "Alice? As in, from the Vanguard?"

Emil nodded, "Yeah, I couldn't believe it either, Amy acts nothing like her."

Marta regained her composure, "So what happened then?"

Emil explained to her everything that happened after Amy revealed her sisters identity. Marta was furious, the scary thing was, Emil couldn't tell if she was angry at Amy, or at him.

Emil finally took a risk, "Um…M-Marta? Are…are you m-mad at me?"

Marta closed her eyes, trying to hide her anger, "No, I'm angry at Amy." Emil could tell that she was in fact angry with him, maybe not as mad as he thinks, but she's definitely mad at him.

Emil stood up, and walked over to her, he knelt down, "Marta, I promise, I'll never be with her. I'm sorry for ever going over there. I won't ask you to not be mad at me, but just know that I am truly sorry."

Marta remained silent.

Emil stood up, "Marta? Are you ok?"

Still no response. She stood up.

"Marta, talk to me, please."

Still nothing. Marta walked past Emil, stopping right past him.

Finally, Emil was done, "Marta please! Tell me what I did wrong!" Marta then shoved Emil into the chair she was originally sitting in, "M-Marta?" he asked fearfully, _"__Oh no,"_ He thought, _"__She hates me. Why did I go to that manor?"_

Marta stood in front of him, "Marta I'm sor-mph!" Emil was silenced by Marta pressing her lips onto his.

Emil was too shocked to move, Marta then sat on Emil's lap, straddling him. Emil finally gave in, and returned the kiss. Marta then moved her hands, which were resting on each of his shoulders, and placed them behind his head, wrapping her fingers in his blonde hair. Emil had one arm on her middle back, and another hand on the back of Marta's head. Marta slipped her tongue into Emil's mouth, when he returned the gesture, Marta began to moan into his mouth.

They lost track of time as they did this and stopped only when they needed to breathe.

Emil, with heavy breath, looked his girlfriend in her beautiful eyes, "What was that all about?" he asked.

Marta placed her head on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck, "I was never mad at you. How could I have been? You defended me. You attacked her for me. And then you said what you did a minute ago, and I just couldn't hold myself back any longer."

Emil smiled, he wrapped his arms around her, "I love you Marta."

Marta blushed, "I love you too, Emil."


	5. Chapter 5: Making peace with family

Chapter 5: Making peace with family

(A/N: Hey guys sorry for the late update, I just finished exams. Will try to get back on pace. Please Review!)

Half an hour later, the two made their way to the port. Before they could head to a boat leading for Palmocosta, Emil grabbed Marta's arm, "Wait, Marta."

She looked back at him, "What is it?"

Emil looked away for a moment, _"I don't want her to know that going back to Palmocosta is dangerous, I need an excuse…I know."_

Emil turned his gaze to the boat schedule, "There's a transport heading for Luin in just a few minutes, can we get on that one?"

Marta cocked her head, "Ok, but why Luin?" she asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"Well," Emil said, "A few hours before our night in Altamira, I went to Luin to see Uncle Alba and Aunt Flora again. They said they wanted to start over with me after I got back. So, is it ok if we go and see them?"

Marta smiled, "Of course, let's go." And off they went. Just before boarding, Marta took one of the motion sickness pills.

Emil looked at her, "I'm glad that those pills work for you Marta. I hated seeing you be so sick during our travels."

Marta blushed, "Yeah, but at least I got to feel you holding me during those times. So it wasn't all bad." She said.

A half-hour later, and they switched from a boat to a carriage. They were half-way there when Marta started to feel queasy.

"Oh…" she groaned.

Emil quickly noticed, "Are you ok?"

Marta nodded, "Yeah, it's just the pill wearing off."

Emil went for her bag, which was sitting beside her, and pulled out the little bottle, "Well then, shouldn't you take another one?" he asked.

Marta shook her head, "If you look at the label to the left, you'll see that you're supposed to take no more than one a day."

Emil looked in the area she described and sure enough, it was there.

Emil put the bottle away, Marta looked up at him, "Don't worry…I'll be…fine… Oh, one sec." she then leaned over the carriage to vomit.

"Hey, is everything ok back there? I heard some weird noise." Said the coach driver.

Emil looked up, "Yeah we're fine, but we need to go on foot from here." The driver was surprised, as was Marta.

The carriage began to slow down and Emil could hear Marta give a sigh of relief, "Ok, I'd say be careful, but since you're the heroes of this world, that would be some foolish advice."

Emil cocked his head, "What?"

The driver opened up the carriage and looked at them, "Yeah, you're Emil and Marta. You guys put a stop to the weather crisis, and you got the monsters to go back to normal. Everyone knows you guys. You're heroes."

Emil was stunned. He never imagined he would be called a hero, except by Marta, of course.

After Emil and Marta got off, Marta looked back at the driver, "Thank you for taking us this far, sir." She said with a bow.

The man scratched the back of his head, "It was my pleasure, oh, but before you go, I have one request."

Emil smiled, "Sure, what is it?" he asked. He then began to reach for his wallet, expecting the man to ask for payment, Emil, being the nice guy that he is, was fine with the idea.

The man turned back to them with a piece of paper and a pen, "My son is a huge fan of you guys, do you think I could get your autographs for him, please?"

Marta smiled, "Of course." She said, she took the piece of paper and pen in her hands, "Who are we making it out to?"

The man's eyes lit up, "H-His name is Jade." Marta smiled and wrote on the paper.

Emil, meanwhile was stunned again, _"Someone wants my autograph?"_ He pulled himself out of his daze when Marta handed him the pen and paper.

He took them and wrote down, "Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality." And then he signed his name.

He then returned the items to the coach driver and smiled, "Take care."

The man nodded, "Thanks, you too."

While walking to Luin, Marta decided to break the silence, "So, Emil," she said, "what was it like to sign your first autograph?"

Emil blushed a little, "Well…It felt pretty cool, I mean-hey wait, you weren't phased by the autograph thing at all. Have you signed them before?"

Marta giggled, "Yeah, Colette and the others spread the word about what you and I accomplished at the otherworldly gate, and people just started lining up. That one back there was my fifth autograph to sign."

Emil gazed at Marta, "Wow, so I guess that means we're famous or something."

Marta shrugged, "I guess, but I'm glad most people still treat us normally."

Emil nodded, "Yeah, me too."

After one hour of walking, they arrived at Luin.

As soon as they stepped into the town, Marta glanced at Emil, "Do you want me to be there when you talk to your aunt and uncle? I'll understand if you don't."

Emil thought hard about that. He never really gave much thought about this, because his plan at the gate didn't involve him coming back.

Emil decided, "I think this is something between them and me. I should do this myself, but I'll introduce you to them, officially as soon as I'm done."

Marta smiled, "You've changed Emil, you're a lot braver than you used to be. I'm proud of you."

Emil smiled and kissed her forehead, "Thanks Marta."

The girl blushed, "I'll be waiting in the fountain plaza. Take your time." Emil nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before walking towards his house.

Marta sat down on a bench in the plaza. After walking for an hour straight, the girl needed to rest.

As she sat, she couldn't help but think about Amy and what happened at the manor.

_"__Come to think of it. Emil didn't even look at the schedule until I started moving to a boat to take us to Palmocosta. I get the feeling that Emil has more reason than his relatives, to wanting to be here, outside of Sylverant." _As she continued, she shook her head. "No," she told herself, "I'm overthinking this. I'm letting my jealousy make wild assumptions again. From now on, I'm not going to think about that night." She said to herself.

Not much later, she was approached by Dida and Moll.

Marta knew who they were, and how they used to treat Emil, so she was a little concerned.

"E-excuse us." Dida said, "We were wondering if you're that girl that Emil saved back when the church attacked."

Marta nodded, "Yeah, that's me. Why?" she asked, slightly more relaxed.

Moll bowed his head, "Please send our apologies to Emil!" he said, then Dida bowed as well.

"We regret all of the things we did to him, and all the names we called him!"

Then, in unison, they said, "Please tell him we're sorry!"

Marta was stunned, the bullies that Emil had told her about, were begging his forgiveness.

She stood up, "If you want to apologies to Emil, then wait here, he should come by in a little bit to find me, you can apologies to him then."

The boys shook their heads, "We can't face him." Dida said.

"Yeah, not after everything we've done." Said Moll.

Marta looked at them, then looked at the statue of Lloyd.

"Emil has forgiven worse than you two."

The boys looked to her in confusion.

Marta looked down, "My father was the leader of the Vanguard. He sent soldiers to kidnap me, to kill him, an officer to trick me, blackmailed him. And even attacked him, and me, with the intent to kill."

The two stood in horror of the story.

Marta looked to the sky, "And yet, despite all of that, despite of everything my father put him through, Emil forgave him. Emil forgave my father for everything, without a second thought." She turned to the two, "Trust me. You have nothing to worry about."

The twins nodded and chose to wait with her.

Emil looked at the door in front of him. He was excited, but at the same time, he was scared. He turned the handle, and walked in to see his Uncle Alba at the table, reading a book.

He looked at the man, "Hello, Uncle Alba, I'm back."

Alba shot from his seat, leaving his book on the table, "What are you doing here you demonic little…" he stopped himself, "Sorry about that. Old habit, I guess."

Emil shook his head, "I-It's fine. I understand." He looked around, "Where's Aunt Flora?"

Alba turned away, "She went shopping a while ago, and she should be back any minute now."

As if on cue, Flora came through the door.

Her hands and arms covered in shopping bags, "Emil?" She asked, she wasn't expecting him to actually want to come home.

Emil walked up to her and took some of the bags from her, "Here, let me help you with those Aunt Flora."

Emil and Flora took the groceries and put them away, all the while, Flora was stunned at how calm he feels.

When the groceries were put up, they all sat at the table, "I honestly didn't think you'd actually come back to see us." Flora said.

Emil looked down, "Well…you guys said you wanted to start over, so I wanted to come and see if we could."

Alba was the next to speak.

"But, we were terrible to you. Why in the world would you want to even see us again?"

Emil looked at both of them, "True. You guys did treat me terribly."

Those words felt like daggers to them.

"But, Marta has helped me see that people can change if they try hard enough. I went from being a scared, shy person to being what I am today. I want to believe that we can change our relationship from what it was, to what it should be." The blonde said.

"And what do you mean by that?" Alba asked.

"I mean, we treat each other like family, since that's what we are."

Alba shared a look with Flora, they were amazed at how their nephew has grown, "Alright." Flora said.

"I don't see why we can't try at least." Alba added.


	6. Chapter 6: Making peace with people

Chapter 6: Making peace with people

Emil left, saying that there was someone he wants them to meet, and that he'd be right back. He hurried down to the fountain plaza, excited to introduce Marta to his uncle and aunt.

When he got there, he noticed Dida and Moll walking up behind Marta.

All too familiar with their track record, he drew his sword and leapt in between the boys and Marta.

His sudden appearance scared the twins, causing them to fall backwards, he got in position.

"Marta, stay back."

Before Emil could do anything, though, Marta ran in front of him.

"Emil wait! They weren't going to hurt me."

Emil was confused.

"Huh?"

Marta explained to him what happened when she arrived at the plaza.

Emil put away his sword and looked to them.

"Sorry guys. My bad, you ok?"

They looked at each other, then at him.

"Yeah." Dida said.

"We're fine." Said Moll.

Neither one of them knew what to say next.

Finally, Marta walked up to them, "Well? Don't you two have something you want to say?" She asked them.

The boys faced Emil, bowed their heads, and, in unison, said.

"We're so sorry for everything we've done to you! We're really, really sorry!"

Emil was surprised at their apology, but was glad to hear it.

He walked up to them, "Its ok, guys. I forgive you."

They looked up at him, "Really?" they both asked.

Emil simply nodded in reply.

With that being done, the boys went off to do whatever they do.

Emil turned to Marta, taking her hand in his, "Ready to meet them?" he asked.

Marta smiled, intertwining her fingers with his, "I can't wait."

They returned to Emil's house to see Alba and Flora setting up for dinner.

Emil noticed that they had prepared a fourth spot and smiled.

"We're here." He stated, catching their attentions.

"Hello, Emil, perfect timing, dinners nearly ready." Alba said.

Flora walked away from the kitchen, placing the last few thing on the table.

"There's plenty for your little friend too." She said.

Emil smiled at them and placed his arm around Marta, "Guys, this is Marta Lualdi. My girlfriend." He announced, causing Marta to blush, "Marta, this is my Uncle Alba, and Aunt Flora." He added, while pointing to each of them respectively.

Dinner had gone wonderfully, full of Alba and Flora asking questions about Emil and Marta's relationship, like, "How did you two meet?" or, "When did it become official?" and other things.

When dinner was done, it was sunset.

"Well," Emil said, "Marta and I are going to spend the night in a room downstairs."

Before they could leave, Alba stopped them.

"Actually, the inn is full. There's been no vacancy for a while now."

Flora then pitched in.

"Why don't you two spend the night in your old room?" she suggested.

Emil whispered to Flora, "Well, I-I don't know..."

"Great idea!" Marta said, grabbing Emil's arm, yanking him into the bedroom before he could say another word.

Alba chuckled, "You planned that, didn't you?" he asked.

She giggled, "A little." She said, sticking her tongue out playfully.

When Marta finally let go, Emil was already sitting on the bed.

"Marta! There's only one bed in here."

She gave him a sly look, "Then we can share it, I mean, the beds big enough." She said, slowly sliding to sit down next to him.

Emil was blushing like crazy.

"M-Marta…I-I-I don't N-know…"

Marta placed a hand on his chest, stroking it gently, "Don't worry Emil." She said, "I'm not planning on doing it with you. It's just, I want to do this with you, Emil. Not…_you know_, just sharing a bed together, that's all I want."

Emil did smile a little bit, but he was still nervous.

Marta backed up a little.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you so nervous." She said disappointed.

Marta was about to stand up, but she stopped when she felt Emil's hand on her wrist.

"No. Marta, it's ok, really. Y-You just caught me off guard, that's all."

Marta smiled, "So, we can share the bed?" She asked with her excitement back.

Emil nodded his head, "Yeah, just as long as it doesn't turn into…."

Marta stopped him.

"I know, and don't worry, I won't." With smiles on their faces, they both got ready for bed.

Meanwhile, Dida and Moll were hiding in the alleys of Luin.

"Man that was close," Dida said. "Emil almost caught us."

Moll nodded, "Yeah, but we managed to do what we were told to."

Then a man came behind them.

"I assume you were successful?"

The two looked to see their employer, Johnson.

Dida and Moll nodded.

"Good." Johnson handed them the promised payment, "You must never speak of this."

Moll looked at him, "What'll you do to her?" he asked.

"The tagged shall be killed."


	7. Chapter 7: The Ambush

Chapter 7: The ambush

Emil woke up the next morning to see Marta, cuddled close to him, still sound asleep. He noticed that it was still fairly early, so he chose to simply lay there with her. _"The only problem left to deal with now, is Amy."_ He thought, _"Once I take care of that situation, then Marta and I can finally be together peacefully, no threats, no danger. Just me and her."_ He was taken away from his thoughts at the feeling of Marta beginning to wake up.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she smiled, "Good morning, Emil." The girl said in a hushed tone.

The boy smiled back at her, "Morning." Despite how much they enjoyed being so close to one another, they got up to get ready for the day. Being opposite genders, they agreed to each get dressed on opposite sides of the room, with their backs facing each other.

While get dressed, Emil decided to break the morning silence, "So, how'd you sleep last night Marta?" He asked.

"Wonderfully." She answered, followed by a sigh of content, "What about you?"

Emil chuckled a bit, "Same as you."

Marta giggled at an idea she just had, "Maybe that means we should share a bed more often."

Emil shook his head, "I'm not sure, considering what Zelos would say, should he find out."

Marta made a face of disgust, "Ugh! Good point."

They exited the bedroom to see an empty house, "Where are they?" Marta asked.

Emil noticed a note and read it aloud, "Had to leave early to help run the inn."

Marta walked up, "Why don't we head back now?" She asked.

Emil was very nervous, knowing that she meant Palmocosta. He nodded, "Ok, but can we go by land to a boat?"

Marta cocked her head, "Ok, but why?" she asked.

"_Because I don't want you to be there until I figure out how to stop Amy." _He thought. After a long period of silence, Marta had a good idea what was going on.

She walked up to him, and slipped her hand into his, "If you're worried about me, then don't be. I want to help you deal with her."

Emil looked at her, "But, she's Alice's twin sister! The moment she sees you…"

"Then I'll defeat her, just like I defeated Alice. Trust me, I won't lose to her." She said with confidence.

Emil was still concerned, but he knew that she was right, "Ok, let's go."

They were walking through the fields, when suddenly, a large horde of monsters surrounded them. Marta pulled out her spinner, "Where did these come from?" She asked.

"I don't know, but let's take them out. They're too close to Luin." Emil said while drawing his sword. Though the battle was long, Emil and Marta had little difficulty defeating the monsters, and soon enough, the monsters were gone.

Marta put away her spinner, "That wasn't too bad." She said with a smile.

Emil smiled back, "Yeah, but those were monsters that don't live anywhere near here." He pointed out, "Why would they be so far from their natural habitats?" The blonde pondered this for a moment.

Suddenly, another horde appeared, "Ah! There's more!" Marta exclaimed, Emil and Marta wasted no time with them. They performed the Ars Nova to blow them away.

As soon as the arte was complete, Emil faced the girl, "We should run, before another wave hits." Marta nodded, as the two made a dash for Asgard.

The road seemed to be longer than it was, due to them being stopped by horde after horde of monsters. Despite the overwhelming numbers, the two continued to fight and cut their way through. When the duo finally arrived in Asgard, a significantly large heard was about to follow them in.

Just before they started the march, a voice called to them, "Stop!" The monster pack turned to face the young female who they considered their pack leader, "Johnson says to not make a scene in populated areas." The monsters growled, "Patience, my brothers and sisters," she said, "they will leave that town sooner or later, and when they do, they'll know why they call me wild."

(A/N: Ok, so I decided to use some characters from other Tales of… games, the girl introduced in that last paragraph was the first one. See if you can figure out who it is. P.S. To those who figured it out already, yes, I did want to make it fairly easy.)


	8. Chapter 8: A New Crisis

Chapter 8: A new crisis

Emil and Marta were standing in the middle of Asgard, desperately trying to catch their breath. After they could breathe again, Marta looked to Emil, "Are you ok?" she asked.

The boy nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. You?" She nodded.

They looked to the gates and saw the monsters retreat, "Why are they leaving?" Marta asked, "With their numbers, they could have destroyed this town if it meant killing us."

Emil stared at the gates, trying to make sense of it, "I don't know, but let's speak to the mayor. We need to know if this is happening regularly." Marta nodded and they went to see the mayor.

Once they arrived, they saw him talking to Colette and Lloyd. "And you're sure that you can't determine the cause of it?" Lloyd asked the mayor.

The man lowered his head, "No. We've been unable to find any motive so far."

Colette looked out the window, "I see…"

Emil stepped up, "Is something wrong?"

He asked, all eyes turned to the two, "The monsters have recently been migrating to Hima, though we've no idea why." The mayor said.

"Hima?" Marta said, "That doesn't make sense."

After a moment, Emil's eyes widened, "Maybe it has to do with Nifleheim." He stated.

Colette looked at him, "The demon world?" She asked.

"What would the demon world have to do with Hima?" Lloyd asked.

Emil looked away, "When we were first there, Tenebrae said that he could sense the energies of Nifleheim, and since that was what brought the monsters that destroyed Hima, maybe it's what's causing the monsters to gather."

Marta walked up beside him, "Another possibility, though unlikely, is that it's a Centurions core."

Colette shook her head, "I don't think it's a Centurion, they only lure monsters of their respective element, but there's no elemental similarity between any of the monster hordes that come, no one group has just one elemental type."

Lloyd clenched his fist, "We're not going to discover anything by just standing here. Colette, let's go to Hima to investigate."

The chosen nodded, "Right."

Emil looked to Marta who nodded, "We're going with you." The boy said, the chosen and her servant smiled, welcoming them to the team again.

The four of them arrived in Hima to see Tenebrae being attacked by darkness monsters, "Fellow beings of darkness, obey me!" He declared while using the magic to forge a pact, unfortunately, the magic was useless.

The monsters launched at the Centurion, "Look out!" Emil yelled, running in to attack the monsters.

Tenebrae was stunned to see who his rescuer was, "Lord Emil?"

Emil switched to his 'Rattatosk mode' voice, "**I am Rattatosk, lord of all monsters! Flee now, or you shall witness my full fury!**" The monsters did as told and fled.

Marta walked up to her boyfriend, "Wait to go, Emil. I had no idea you could still pull off such a good impression of him." She said.

He switched back to his normal voice, "Thanks, though to tell you the truth, I was really just winging it." He said.

Tenebrae cleared his throat, "I hate to be rude, but I need to discover the reason for these monsters' disobedience." He said.

"Disobedience?" Emil echoed.

"Yes, these monsters were originally under the command of me and the other Centurions. However, for reasons none of us can understand, they severed our bonds and began going wild." The centurion stopped, allowing what he said to sink in.

Lloyd was the one to speak next, "But what about the others?"

Tenebrae sat down, "Aqua, along with the other Centurions, are spread across the world, looking for answers. However, I believe the source is here." He said.

"Tenebie, does it have anything to do with Nifleheim perhaps?" Colette asked.

The creature made an agitated face, "How many times must I tell you that I prefer Tenebrae?" he asked annoyed, "And no, there is no presence of the demon realm here anymore, not since Lord Rattatosk sealed the gate."

Just then, a voice could be heard from the top of Hima, **"Emil Castagnier! I know you're here! Come up to meet me alone, or my brothers and sisters will raid Asgard, and kill everyone they can find! You have thirty minutes to decide!"** Said the young female voice.

Marta looked over to Emil, "Is it Amy?" She asks.

Emil shook his head, "No, that's not her voice." He told her.

Colette cocked her head slightly, "Who's Amy?" She inquired.

Tenebrae floated next to Emil, "We can worry about that later, for now let us focus on the task at hand." He then faced Emil, "Lord Emil, you understand that this is most likely, a trap, correct?"

Emil nodded, "I know, but I can't just not go up there. So many people will die if I don't do what she says!"

Lloyd took a step closer, "I hate to sound like the pessimist, but it's possible that they plan to raid Asgard whether you go up there or not."

Colette nodded, "Lloyd's right, there's too much at risk here, no matter what we do."

Marta then had an idea, "Then we'll split up." She said, "Colette, you and Lloyd go back to Asgard and prepare for the worst. Get the people to safety and round up any warriors you can." She then turned to face her boyfriend, "Emil, you go and meet this jungle kid as she's demanded. I'll go with Tenebrae and watch you from above."

Emil smiled, "That's a great plan Marta! How'd you come up with that?" He asked.

She smiled proudly, "When your dad is the leader of a resistance, you learn a thing or two about tactics."

Lloyd smiled, "Alright, let's all move out!"

Marta mounted herself on Tenebrae's back when Emil walked up to her, "Are you sure about this? You know, with your motion sickness?" He asked.

Marta nodded, "Don't worry. I did this all the time before you joined up, and strangely enough, I never get motion sick on him. Go figure." She said with a shrug.

Emil nodded, "Well still, just be careful."

Marta smiled warmly, "You too." Tenebrae cleared his throat, "May I remind you both that our thirty minutes are nearly up. We need to move now." He said as he took off, taking cover inside one of the clouds.

Emil walked up to meet a young girl, clutching a doll. She had long pinkish hair and amber eyes, and was wearing a black dress with knee high boots. Emil looked at the child, "I'm here. Alone." He said.

The girl loosened her grip on the doll, "Greetings Emil, I am Arietta the wild, of the Six God Generals."

Emil tilted his head, "I've never heard of a group called the Six God Generals."

Arietta shook her head, "I would suspect not, seeing as how we do not originate from this world. But that is beside the point. I must implore you to abandon the one called Marta Lualdi. For your benefit and safety."

Emil then began to get angry, "What are you talking about?" He demanded.

Arietta smirked, "Tell me, did you find your trip from Luin to Asgard peaceful?" She asked, when no answer came, she continued, "No? Good. It means the tag is working as it should."

Emil had begun to worry, "What do you mean 'tag?' What does it do?"

"It releases something that works similarly to pheromones. Except rather than attracting animals for a mate, or an alpha, it provokes monsters into attacking. And the ones under my control are particularly dangerous. You were lucky on that trail, but luck runs out for everyone eventually." She said before clutching her doll, "If you abandon Marta, your life will be spared. Also, you'll be given the opportunity to live like a king."

Hearing that was what Emil needed to put the pieces together. He unsheathed his sword, "You tell Amy that there is nothing she can do to ever make me betray Marta! It's thanks to her that I became the man I am today! I'll never leave her! Not now! Not ever!" He yelled.

Arietta closed her eyes, "Then I shall take you by force."

Suddenly, Emil was surrounded on all sides by Ligers, "Leave him alive, and in one piece." She instructed. Just before the monsters started to make their advance, a voice of a woman singing could be heard in the distance.

"What's that?" Emil asked.

"_**Kro Ryo Zway Tway Lay N'way Ryo Zway~."**_ Sang the voice.

Arietta opened her eyes wide, "It can't be!" Just as the Ligers pounced, a barrier appeared around Emil, protecting him from harm.

Just then, a man with long red hair charged onto the scene, "Thought you could lose us that easily?" He asked before cutting down all the Ligers.

Emil rushed over to him, "Thanks!" He said as he prepared to fight.

Arietta gritted her teeth before raising an arm. A large bird monster then came and swept her away, "You won't always be able to save her!" She yelled, "The tag kills all!"

(A/N: Yep. This is officially a Symphonia and Abyss crossover event! I probably won't change anything on the doc manager, because they'll only be here for a few chapters, but still! Anyways, hope you enjoy!)


	9. Chapter 9: Enter! Heroes of the Abyss

Chapter 9: Enter! Heroes of the Abyss!

Marta and Tenebrae landed back onto the ground. Marta quickly got off the Centurion and ran to the blonde youth, "Emil! Thank Martel you're safe!" She said as she wrapped her arms around him.

He did the same to her, "I'm ok, Marta. I promise."

Marta then looked over to the red-haired man, "Thank you so much! You saved him!"

Just then, a brow- haired woman in a simple brown dress walked up to them, "It's our pleasure." She said.

The man nodded, "Yeah. I'm Luke, by the way. And this is Tear." Said woman made a bow.

Emil did the same, "I'm Emil, this is my girlfriend Marta."

Marta looked at the two, "Do you guys know that girl from just now?" She inquired.

Tear nodded, "Yes. Arietta the Wild…she was killed about three years ago."

Emil went wide-eyed, "What?! Then how was she here just now?"

Luke nodded, "We've got a theory about that, but it's lengthy. So, let's get back to that town, the rest of our group is there, waiting for us to come back from our recon."

When they got back, Emil and Marta noticed a man about Luke's age, carrying a katana on his waist, wearing mostly yellow (A/N: Sorry, I'm lousy at describing clothes.) with dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes.

Standing next to him, with her arm encircling his, was a woman with shining golden hair and green eyes, wearing an emerald green outfit that was clearly meant for the upper class. On her back was a quiver of arrows and a bow.

A little way away from them, was a taller man, looking slightly older than anyone else in the group had long brown hair, and red eyes. Wearing, what was clearly, a blue military uniform.

And finally, there was a young girl, just getting into her teen years, wearing a purple outfit that looks like something a cleric would wear, having a doll on her back, hanging from her shoulders. She had Onyx hair and a dark orange eye color.

The man with the katana was the first to see the group arrive, "Hey there Luke!" He said with a grin.

Luke smirked and made a formal bow, "Greetings your highness." He said teasingly.

Guy laughed, "Knock that off!" He said lightly.

Luke chuckled, "What? Ever since you married Natalia, you've been a prince. You should be proud!" He told his friend.

Marta's eyes lit up as she went to Natalia, "So you're a real princess!?" She asked excitedly.

Natalia smiled, "Yes. I'm Princess Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear Cecil of Baticul." She then gestures to Guy, "And that's my husband Prince Guy."

Marta giddily shook her hand, "Wow! I've always wanted to meet a real-life princess! It's totally an honor to meet you ma'am."

Natalia smiled, "Thank you, but please. Just call me Natalia."

This caused Marta to geek out further, "Wow! I'm on a first name basis with an actual princess!"

Emil crouched down to Tenebrae, "What's gotten into Marta?" He asked.

Tenebrae made a slight hum, "Lady Marta has a secret adoration for princesses. Since she's never actually met one before, it's never been worth mentioning before."

While Emil was slightly embarrassed by Marta's antics, he smiled as he learned something new about the girl he loves. He walked over to Marta and grabbed her arm, "Come on Marta, let's give the nice woman her space." He told her.

Marta blushed at the fact that she just completely geeked out on 11 in front of her boyfriend and laughed nervously, "Uh…right… heh heh." She said nervously.

Luke scanned the group and realized they were one short as he walked over to Natalia, "Hey, where's Mieu?" He asked.

"He said he wanted to get a look at the town." She replied.

"You won't escape me, monster!" Lloyd cried out as he chased a small blue creature with long ears and a sorcerer's ring.

"Mieeeeeeeuuuuu!" The little one cried as it continued to run.

As the creature was running towards Luke and Tear, Luke picked him up, "Come on Mieu! I told you to stay out of trouble!" He told the Cheagle.

Mieu started pointing at Lloyd, "It wasn't my fault, Master! This man just started chasing me!"

Lloyd sheathed his swords, "I thought it was with the other monsters." He explained.

Luke simply smiled, "Nah, this is Mieu. I'm sorry about any trouble he caused."

After Emil, and his friends were introduced to Jade, Anise -who is now Fon Master-, Natalia, and Guy, he scratched his head, "So…if you guys are from a different world, how did you get here?"

Guy raised his hand slightly, "I can answer that. Ya see, in our world, there's this old building called the Tower of Rem. Its technology is remarkably advanced, considering it's so ancient. It was designed to be an escape for the people in case our world became beyond salvation, but the ancient architects could never figure it out. Not long before I married Natalia, I recruited all the best engineers and architects in Baticul and we went to try and finish what our ancestors started. It was supposed to be impossible, but somehow, we managed to finally make it work. That's how we got here, but I'm not sure how the God Generals got here."

Jade then walked up, "We've already defeated the five of the God Generals that had been revived, so we were the best choices to tackle this threat. As for how they arrived in this world, is not too different. They created a replica of the Tower of Rem, except they made the replica smaller, and faster. I hadn't expected them to harness such a complex level of Fomicry."

Colette tilted her head, "Fomicry? What's that?"

Anise walked up, "It's basically a complete knock off." She said without thinking. She looked over to Luke, "Uh… sorry." She said.

He smiled at her, "It's fine Anise."

Then Tear spoke up, "How they arrived here is not the immediate concern. What worries me, is this 'tag' that Arietta mentioned."

Anise nodded, "Tear's right. That arte is similar to the Curse Slot that Sync put on Guy a while back. It can only be removed by a collection of powerful fonists."

Jade nodded, "That's why it's so dangerous in this world. With no fonists, there's no way for people of your world to remove them."

Emil wrapped an arm around Marta, "But you guys can remove it, right?" He asked, concern clear in his voice.

Anise smiled, "Don't worry. We'll get the tag off of her, but the effects will be enhanced so we'll need some people to stand guard at the gate of the city."

Lloyd took a step forward, "Leave that to me, Colette, and Emil."

Said blonde boy shook his head, "No! I'm staying by Marta!" He insisted, "All these dangerous people are after her. I'm her knight! I have to defend her!"

Marta put a hand on his shoulder, "Emil, I know you want to keep me safe, but right now, we need to look at the big picture! Two people against an army of monsters won't stand a chance. Not even if it's Lloyd and Colette. You need to go. I'll still be here when you get back. And to prove it…" She then removed her hair flowers and clipped them to either side of Emil's scarf, "I'll have to be in order to get these back from you." Emil hugged Marta tightly before walking over to Lloyd.

Natalia looked over to Guy, "Why don't you help them?" She offered. Guy nodded and rushed to catch up with them.  
As the four of them left, Marta sighed. Anise walked over to her, "Don't worry, it'll be painless for you. You'll be fine." She reassured.

Marta smiled at the teenage girl, "Thanks Anise, but it's not me I'm worried about." She told her as she reached her hand up to where one of her hair ornaments used to be.

Half an hour after Emil went to join Lloyd, Colette, and Guy to guard the village and it had been uneventful. While everyone else had begun to relax a little, Emil never dropped his guard.

Lloyd noticed this and went over to his friend, "Relax, Emil. Nothing's gonna happen to her. The monsters aren't gonna get to her."

Emil shook his head, "If Amy could recruit people from a different world, just to try and take me away from Marta…How can I stop her…?"

Guy tilted his head, "Who's Amy?" He asked.

Emil sighed, "Amy is the twin sister of the late sadistic Alice. She's got this idea in her head that she and I are supposed to be engaged, and she said that she'd never give up. The only way to stop her would be to kill her, but…" He paused.

Colette smiled, "Don't worry. I'll help you guys stop Amy."

Lloyd nodded, "Me too. No one messes with my friend and gets away with it."

Emil smiled, "Thanks you guys."

Just then, Guy heard a monster call, "Looks like we've got company!" He said as he drew his sword. The other three drew their weapons and charged into battle.

Meanwhile, Marta was laying on a table in the mayor's home as Luke, Tear, Natalia, Jade and Anise were undergoing a ritual to remove the tag from Marta. As Marta was laying there, she thought about her current situation, _"If what Anise said is true, then whoever tagged me must have had direct contact with me, and since it started as we left Palmocosta, that must be where it happened…"_ She moved her eyes to see that everyone had a hand extended towards her left arm, _"The tag must have been put on my left arm…it couldn't have been Alba and Flora. I shook their hands with my right hand…Dida and Moll! It must have been them! But why…"_

After fifteen minutes, any monsters who hadn't been defeated, had run away. Only a wolf remained. Emil stood ready to fight, "Bring it on!"

Just before Emil could attack, a large Cerberus dog monster (A/N: Not to be confused with the mythic Greek monster) struck down the wolf and then looked over to Emil. Guy was about to advance, but Emil halted him, "No wait… This one seems familiar." Emil put his sword away and moved in to get a closer look at the monster. It didn't take him long to realize who it was, "Wiluite!" He said as he petted the monster's head.

Lloyd tilted his head, "Who?" He inquired. "He was the first monster I ever made a pact with, back when he was just a wolf. His name is Wiluite." Said monster barked.

Guy was completely shocked, "A pact?" He inquired.

Colette looked to him, "Oh, that's right! You wouldn't know. In this world, if you have the right kind of magic, you can form pacts with monsters." She explained.

Just then, Natalia walked up to them, "We're done. Marta is officially safe." She said. Emil immediately ran towards the mayor's house.

Emil ran into the house to see Marta sitting in a chair. He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, "Hey, are you ok?" He asked.

Marta looked up at him and smiled, "I'm fine Emil. Just a bit drained."

Anise spoke up, "That's normal. After a few hours' rest, she should feel good as new." She said before she and her friends left to give them some privacy.

Emil removed the flower ornaments from his scarf, and carefully put them back into her hair, "I'm glad that part of this nightmare is over." He said.

Marta hummed, enjoying the feeling of Emil's hands going through her hair, "We'll make it work. We did it before with Richter and Rattatosk. We'll do it again with Amy." She said.

Emil smiled and sat next to her, "How are you so confident about this?" He asked.

Marta smiled back, "That's easy. I love you, and you love me, right?" Emil nodded, "Y-yes." He answered in his shy voice, making Marta giggle, "Then that's all I need to know that we'll beat her. I know it sounds like a cheesy motivational poster, but it's true."

Emil blushed, "Yeah. You're right."

Marta couldn't help but giggle, "You're so cute when you blush, Emil!"

The next hour went by with the two talking, and reminiscing stories from their journey. Marta blushed, "Remember when we first came here?" She asked.

Emil nodded, "Yeah, the Centurion Ventus was making the wind go completely nuts."

Marta shook her head lightly, "Yeah, but it was also the place where we first held hands. You do remember that, right?"

Emil nodded, "Of course. Sorry, I should've known that you were talking about that."

Marta smiled and took her hand in his, "It's fine. You're just being you. And that's the way I want you to stay." She said before giving Emil a light kiss on his cheek.

Another hour later, Marta walked outside to see Wiluite, who barked in joy at seeing Marta again. The girl smiled, "Hey! I missed you so much Wiluite!" She said as she began petting the beast.

Jade walked up to the couple, "Can I have a quick word with you two?" He asked. Emil nodded and Marta stood up, "According to that Tenebrae creature you work with, the monster situation and the God Generals are connected, so we'd like to ask your help."

Marta smiled, "Of course. We need to make sure that the Centurions regain control of their monsters, and we've got our own reason to chase down the God Generals ourselves. So, we'd be happy to help."

Meanwhile, Amy was speaking with Arietta, who had just informed her on the events at Hima, "And before we could retrieve him, Luke and Tear appeared. I was forced to retreat."

Then, a man with short green hair spoke up, "If that replica is here, then it's likely that the rest of them are here as well."

Amy glared towards him, "I am aware of that Sync!" She spat, "But that is of no concern to me. I've paid you to retrieve Emil for me, and I don't care what happens to anyone who tries to keep me from him. So, kill them for all I care." She paused before handing each of them a piece of paper with coordinates on them, "Now then, you should split up, I'm assigning each of you to a different location to spring a trap for Emil and his companions. I don't care what you do, just get it done!"

The five of them left as Johnson walked in, "Do you really expect them to succeed?" He inquired.

Amy shook her head, "It doesn't matter whether they succeed or not. With this," She said as she looked upon three pods, "the charred remnants of the sacred flame. If they don't grant me what I desire. HE will."

(A/N: Well, there you have it. Hopefully, this chapter will help to put this story on the map. Shoot me a review and tell me what you think!")


	10. Chapter 10: The First Clash!

Chapter 10: The First Clash! Sword Versus Fist!

It's been several weeks since the incident at Hima, and in that time, Colette managed to round up Raine, Genis, Presea, Regal, Sheena and Zelos to help them. Also, during a patrol, Emil crossed paths with Aqua, who was more than willing to help in the search.

At the moment, Jade, Regal, and Raine were studying a map of the world that had red circles around five different locations, "According to the reports Mieu received from Emil's monsters, all of these areas," He says as he gestures to the circled spots, "are potential hiding spots for our mutual enemies. Amy and the God Generals."

Raine nodded, "What intrigues me more, is that these locations are all places of great significance to us. The temple of ice near Flanoir, the temple of fire near Izoold, the temple of lightning near, the temple of earth near, and finally, the human ranch near Iselia."

Jade hummed, "Do these locations all share some point of interest?" He inquired.

Regal nodded, "Yes. They're locations that had impacted all of us when we visited them on our journeys. I wonder why they would be hiding there of all places." He asked.

"It's perhaps an attempt to cloud the enemy's mind with bad memories." Jade suggested, "But we still need to narrow down the search. And unfortunately, we've no leads on which one is more likely."

Luke walked up to the group, "Why don't we break off into groups and search them all at once?" He offered.

Raine nodded, "Divide and conquer. An excellent idea."

Regal nodded, "Yes, with our numbers, sneaking into these places one-by-one would be near impossible. However, breaking up into teams saves time and energy. Well done Luke."

Soon, everyone was gathered together, and Jade began to speak, "Alright, our plan is to hit all five of the suspected hideouts at the same time. To do this, two people will be assigned to each location. One member of the team from this world, and one from ours."

He then gestured to Regal, "Regal and I will head to the human ranch. Guy will be accompanied by Lloyd to go to the temple of lightning. Fon Master Anise, you and Zelos will go to the temple of earth. Natalia and Colette will go to the temple of fire. Tear and Professor Sage will go to the temple of ice. Those of you who were not given an assignment, by which I mean Emil, Marta, Luke, Sheena, Genis and Presea, will work with the Centurions to quell the monster rebellions. Most presently, there are three large outbursts that require immediate response."

He then looked to the three six remaining people. "Genis and Presea, you two will be assigned to the Dynasty ruins near Palmocosta. Sheena and Luke go back to Hima and clear out any monster that appears more aggressive than most. Finally, Emil and Marta. You two need to stay here and manage the situation here."

Marta looked up at him, "What? But what about the other location of monster riots?" She asked.

Jade looked over to the two Centurions, "Tenebrae and Aqua agreed to use the monsters you both formed packs with to handle the third riot near Altamira." Marta was unhappy about her and Emil's assignment, but knew there was little she could do for it.

The only ones who had yet to dispatch was Jade and Regal. Jade walked up to Emil and Marta, "I want you to understand that it was nothing personal. Since it's you and Emil that Amy and the God Generals are after, sending you both to any of these locations would be walking right into their trap."

Marta nodded, "I understand, but I still hate being useless like this!" Deciding that it was useless to argue with her further, he went to join up with Regal and headed towards their location.

Guy and Lloyd arrived at the temple of lightning quickly. Upon entering, Guy was fascinated, "Wow! The stuff in here is totally different from the Fon machines we have back in my world." He said.

Lloyd noticed this and smiled, "So you're a real wrench monkey, huh?" He asked as they ventured further in.

Guy shook his head, "I guess, but I've never gotten the chance to make a living out of it, and being married to a princess only makes it harder."

Just then, as they were walking towards the deepest part of the temple, they heard a voice, "Figures you'd follow me here." Said the deep male voice.

Lloyd drew one of his swords, "Who's that?" He asks.

Guy glared at the source of the voice, "It's a replica of the previous Fon Master, his name is Sync."

The man walked into view, "That's right." He noticed Lloyd and smirked, "What's the matter? Too scared to fight me one on one?" He mocked.

Guy drew his sword, "You're not coming back from the dead this time, Sync!"

Guy and Lloyd charged at Sync from two sides. Sync used a Daathic Fonic Arte by pounding his hand into the ground. A powerful beam of light sprang from the ground and flung his enemies back. Sync smirked, "Last time it took six of you to defeat me. How can you expect to win with only two of you?"

Just then, Lloyd appeared behind Sync, "Double Demon Fang!" He said as he swiped his swords.

Sync jumped forward, avoiding the attack, only to run into another attack from Guy, "Moonlight Tempest!" He said.

Sync bended backwards, limbo-style and narrowly avoided the next blade. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't avoid the sheath and was sent flying.

Guy smirked, "Don't tell me you actually thought we hadn't improved since our last battle."

Lloyd nodded, "Plus, your Fonic artes aren't even at half power since you can't use Fonons in the air. And since Guy isn't a fonist, I'd say this battle's in our corner."

Sync smirked, "You think I hadn't considered that?" He said as he pulled out a remote button and pressed it. Just then, the machines around the area began to hum and rev. Then lights activated over their heads, then Guy and Sync felt a pulse of strength and energy flow into their bodies.

Lloyd noticed that something happened, "What's wrong?" He asked.

Guy shook his head, "I don't know how, but the air in here is filled with Fonons!" He said.

Sync chuckled, "That's right! Thanks to the scientific brilliance of Dist the Reaper, combined with the resources of our benefactor, Lady Amy, we were able to design machines that transforms mana into fonons! And since Guy's not a fonist, and I have access to the powerful Daathic Fonic Artes, I think that the battle has once again turned to my favor!" (A/N: From here on in, Sync will be using made up artes since I know nothing about Daathic Fonic Artes)

Sync raised his left arm, "Prepare to die! Shining barrage!" He swiped his arm to the side, causing countless orbs of light shot from the trail of light his arm made when he swung it.

Guy and Lloyd scurried around, desperately trying to avoid his attacks, and looking for an opening. Guy then activated his intercom system that he created before everyone was dispatched, "Lloyd, can you hear me?" He asks quietly.

"_**Crystal clear, Guy. What's up?"**_

"Sync did this same tactic at Eldrant, if we can wait him out, he'll eventually fatigue and weaken enough to defeat him." He told him. Lloyd looked over to Guy and nodded.

Guy readied his sword, "Demon Fang!" He swung his sword, sending a shockwave towards him.

Lloyd readied his swords as well, "Double Demon Fang!" He said, shooting two shockwaves. Sync smirked and backflipped out of the way, only to have Guy and Lloyd attack him up front and personal, "Sword Rain: Alpha!" They both called.

Sync grunted, "Neon Shield!" He said as he raised his arms defensively, creating a green barrier in front of him.

Despite this, Guy and Lloyd carried out their barrage. When they both made their upward attacks, the shield began to falter, "Crescent Blade!" Guy called out, an image of the moon then appeared in front of the barrier, and with incredible speed and strength, he shattered the shield. Lloyd jumped over Guy, "Phoenix Rush!" He said as he swiped his swords in a frenzy.

Sync, out of options, was forced to take the hit full blast. He was thrown to his back, "Gah!" He screamed as he got back up, facing Guy, "I will not lose to a lowly servant!"

Guy looked at him with an intense glare, "Then worry not. I'm no longer a servant to the Fabre household. Now I'm Prince Guy Cecil Kimlasca Lanvaldear of Baticul!" He suddenly had flames erupt from him, "In the name of Kimlasca! This is where you will finally pay for every life you took away!" He leapt up high and struck Sync with a hit from his sheath and prepared to jump again, "Mystic Arte: Burning Phoenix!" He said as he jumped up. His flames took the form of a giant Phoenix that brought Sync with him. Sync screamed in agony as his body was engulfed in flames.

The charred body hit the floor with a thud, and the machines that turned mana into fonons, deactivated. As soon as it did, Guy dropped to his knees in exhaustion as he dropped his sword and sheath.

Lloyd ran to him and helped him up, "Are you ok?" He asked.

Guy nodded, "Yeah. In my world, Mystic Artes require a large amount of fonons from the users' body, and we refill with fonons in the air, but with no fonons, my recovery will take a bit longer."

Lloyd nodded, "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here. Meanwhile, why don't you try and radio Emil and Marta? Let them know that we've taken out Sync." Guy nodded.

(A/N: That's round one, hope you liked it. Review please!)


	11. Chapter 11: The Second Clash!

Chapter 11: The Second Clash! Family Feud!

Natalia and Colette were nearing the deepest part of the Temple of Fire. Natalia glanced behind her, "I hope Guy is alright." She said.

Colette smiled, "Don't worry, Natalia. He's with Lloyd. I know he'll be ok."

Natalia offered a small smile, "You sure seem confident in Lloyd. If you don't mind my asking, what is your relationship with him?"

Colette blushed, "U-uh, w-w-well I-I uh…"

Natalia tried to stifle a giggle, "Sorry. I didn't mean to get you all flustered like that."

Colette regained her composure, "No it's fine. Truth is, I'm really worried about Lloyd too."

Just then, they were interrupted by a large man, wearing black armor fashioned like a Lions mane, "I never thought I'd see you again, Meryl." He said as he gripped his scythe.

Colette tilted her head towards Natalia, "What's he talking about? Does he have you mistaken for someone?"

Natalia shook her head, but didn't respond to her. Instead, she readied her bow, "It doesn't have to end like this…not again, Badaq." She told him, tears slowly welling up in her eyes.

Said man shook his head, "I gave up that name. I can't go back to it. Now I am Largo the Black Lion! And if you get in my way…then I have no choice."

Natalia allowed only a single tear to fall, "Very well…father."

Natalia fired one arrow after the other in fast succession. Largo swung his Scythe to block every single one of them as he made his advance on Natalia.

Colette summoned her wings and prepared her attack, "Ray Strike!" She called as she through her Chakrams. Largo back-stepped in order to evade her attack. Seizing the opportunity, Natalia fired an arrow at Largo's forehead. Largo lowered his head just enough to use his helmet to block her arrow. The power in the shot caused Largo's helmet to shatter, letting his jet-black hair fall.

Largo chuckled, "Another fine shot, Meryl. But I believe it is now time to stop taking it easy on you." He pulled out a controller with a button and pressed it. This caused machines with lights attached to them to appear and turn on. Natalia and Largo felt the fonons that appeared in the air. Largo roared, "Now it's time for you to see the Lion's true fangs!"

Largo swung his scythe at Colette, who used her Chakrams to block it. Largo smirked, "Beast!" Then, a black aura came pouring out of him and took the shape of a lion. The arte struck Colette, sending her flying. The Chosen used her wings to regain her balance, but was clearly wounded.

Having anticipated Colette would get injured, she had been charging a Fonic Arte, "Heal!" A pure light enveloped around Colette, and she felt her injuries wash away.

Largo charged for his vulnerable foe. Natalia quickly drew her arrow, "Storm Edge!" She said as she fired the arrow that flew at remarkable speeds. She then jumped up into the air, "Ariel Laser!" She fired three arrows at him.

Largo struggled to block the oncoming barrage from her as Colette prepared to end the battle, _"I don't fully understand, but if the Largo is Natalia's father, then I won't let her be the one to finish this."_ Suddenly, Largo was surrounded by multiple beams of light that continued to shoot from the heavens, "This battle ends for you, right now! Mystic Arte: Holy Judgement!" The twenty spots that were being shot at by Holy Judgement all converged on Largo, who let out a large battle cry.

The power of the arte forced a large cloud of dust to cover the area. Natalia eyed the spot for a moment before going towards Colette, "It's over…" She said.

Colette nodded, "I'd like to ask what exactly was he?"

Natalia looked away, "He was my birth father. That name he called me, Meryl, is the name I was given from him. I have no memories of him, because I was taken from my birth parents at a young age."

Colette looked down, "I see…I'm sorry for…stopping him." She said, not wanting to use the word 'kill.'

Natalia shook her head, "It needed to be done. Don't worry about me."

Just then, a shockwave knocked the two girls down. They looked to see what happened, and saw that Largo was still alive, but his armor was in shambles. He had ferocity in his eyes, "Did you think I'd be done in so easily!?" He twirled his scythe at impossible speeds, creating an air current, "Now you both are going to die!"

Colette stood up, "Not if I have a say in it! Pow Hammer!" A hammer appeared above Largo and pounded the man, but it didn't stop his spinning, which he started to twirl above his head. He then started twirling it against the wall, creating a roar of flames that spread into a large ring. The fires trapped Colette out, and trapped Natalia and Largo in, "Now there can be no more distractions! Just you and me, Meryl!"

Natalia glared, "Very well, Badaq. Let's settle this!"

Largo swung his scythe downward, which she dodged by rolling to her right and fired an arrow. He leaned his head back to just barely avoided it, then struck Natalia with the back of his scythe then kicked her to the ground.

Natalia struggled to get up and went for an arrow, only to not grab anything at all. She gasped, _"I'm out of arrows!"_

Largo chuckled, "You can't fight me any more if you have no more arrows." He then charged at her, "Looks like this is the end!" He said as he slashed his scythe at her.

Just then, Natalia split her bow apart, revealing that it was actually a hidden sword. She held up the blade to block Largo's attack, "You underestimated me. This will be the end. For you, that is!" She said as she parried his attack and distanced herself from him before returning her weapon to its original form, grabbed an arrow from the ground and readied the final shot. Largo ran as fast as he could to stop her, swinging his scythe around like a madman. Natalia focused on Largo before whispering, "Farewell…My dear Father." Before loosing her arrow. Against all odds, the arrow flew past the scythe and struck his heart.

Largo dropped his scythe and fell to his knees, "I never expected you to use a sword against me." He said.

Natalia walked closer to him, "I owe that to my husband."

Largo managed a smile, "So, you've married…I'm so proud…of you…Meryl…and…and I know…your mother is…too…" He said before falling down. Natalia caught him in her arms, tears pouring down her face. Once Largo had breathed his final breath, the machines deactivated.

The fires died down and Colette ran up to her new friend, who was holding Largo's dead body tightly.

Colette looked at her, "I know this is hard, but we need to hurry. The others might need help."

Natalia nodded and picked up Largo's scythe, "This will become a treasure to the royal family of Kimlasca." She said, "With this, he will be remembered as a man who fought in the name of his beloved wife and daughter. Until the very end." With that, Colette and Natalia left the Temple of Fire.


	12. Chapter 12: The Third Clash!

Chapter 12: The Third Clash: The Traitor's Redemption

Anise and Zelos were halfway inside the Temple of Earth. Nearing a large clearing. Anise had been sharing her story, at the request of Zelos. She had just finished telling him about when Ion died. Zelos nodded, "I know how that feels. I betrayed my friends once, too."

Before Zelos could share his tale (no pun intended), Arietta appeared, "If that's true, then I'll be killing two traitors today. But first, where's Emil?"

Zelos drew his sword, "You're not getting your hands on him."

Anise transformed her doll into a giant version of itself, "Yeah! You'll never make us talk, Gloomietta!"

Arietta clenched her fists, "I'm not gloomy! And this time, you _will_ pay for killing Ion!" Just then, a large Liger and Huge Gryphon appeared and charged.

The two split up, "Ignore these chumps!" Zelos called, "I'll handle them, you settle your score with Arietta!" Anise nodded and charged at Arietta. The liger tried to pounce her, But Zelos blocked it with his shield, just in time, "Sorry, but none of us are going to be interfering with their battle. Which means you both will have to deal with me!" He then charged at the two monsters.

Anise started off with a one-two punch combo that Arietta evaded, but Anise followed with an uppercut which hit Arietta in the jaw, sending her to the ground. Anise smirked, "Give it up. You may be better with artes, but when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, I'm always better."

Arietta got up and was about to reach for her remote to activate the fonon machine, but stopped, "You think so? Well then…" Suddenly, Arietta's doll grew to the same size that Anise's is currently, making Anise gasp. Arietta grinned, "What? You thought you're the only one who can do that trick? I'll take you down with a straight up fist fight. No fonons, no artes, no Ion. Just you, me, and no regrets."

Anise eyed her opponent in shock. She never thought she'd hear Arietta say such things. Anise made a serious glare, "You're on!"

Each girl got off their dolls and began controlling them from a distance (A/N: In case you're having a hard time picturing it, think puppet master Jutsu from Naruto.), and their dolls advanced on each other.

Arietta's doll lands a hard punch on the chest of Anise's doll, sending it a few inches back and knocking it to the ground. Anise made the doll stand up and tried a right hook, but Arietta saw it coming and made her doll block it, then nails the other doll with a right hook of its own, causing Anise to jerk her head to the left.

The type of magics that allow the girls to control their dolls, comes at a price: they feel everything the dolls feel.

Anise's doll recovered quickly, only to be nailed in the chest again by Arietta's doll's left punch followed by a right jab to the body. Anise tries to make her doll do an uppercut, but Arietta's doll used a left hook to the face first.

Arietta's doll lands a right jab to the face, goes for a right hook, but Anise's doll blocks it. Anise then counters with an uppercut, followed by a right jab to the body, then moves in for a hard right to the forehead, hoping to end it quickly.

Arietta doesn't back down, she makes her doll do a double arm guard against Anise's doll's attack, then delivers a left jab to the head, followed by a right jab, also to the head. Anise's doll strikes a right hook to Arietta's doll's head, but Arietta uses the recoil and makes her doll throw a hard right at her opponent's doll's face. Arietta then proceeded to deliver a series of left jabs to the head. Anise tries to counter with a lunging punch, but the Arietta doll grabs Anise's doll mid attack, and tosses it in front of her. Causing Anise to hit the floor as well.

Arietta chuckled, "What's the matter? I thought you were better than me at this." She said, trying to ignore the pain transference from the battle, "I guess you're not as good as you thought. Why Ion chose you to be his Fon Master Guardian instead of me, I'll never know."

Anise began to get up, "Maybe it's because I have a heart." She said as she rose to her feet, and made her doll do so as well. "He chose me, because he saw, not only my combat abilities, but that I was a kind person, who would do anything to protect those close to me." She then stood tall and proud, "I am Fon Master Anise Tatlin. And in the name of Ion, I will settle this. Here and now."

Arietta glared, "I won't let you beat me! I'll kill you bastard!" She said as her doll winded up for a super punch, but Anise's doll countered by tackling itself into the other doll, launching it back a few feet.

"That's my line!" Anise said as her doll marched toward Arietta's. Arietta's doll tries to get up, but Anise's doll pins it up against a boulder and punches its left rib cage, causing Arietta to feel a sharp pain in that same location, _"She broke my ribs…how can she have that much power?!"_ Anise then did a downward elbow strike onto the top of the enemy dolls head, causing Arietta to drop to her knees. Then, Anise's doll jumped up and did a full body slam on it, ensuring that Arietta could neither move, or control her doll anymore. Anise then tried to make her doll throw Arietta's doll away, but the left arm that it was gripping ripped off. This made Arietta make a blood curdling scream. Anise immediately dropped the spell on her doll as it shrunk back to normal.

She walked up to Arietta, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." She said before offering her hand, "Let's get you out of here. Maybe we can get your arm back." The reason Anise said this, was because when the dolls arm got ripped off, all the nerves in Arietta's left arm felt this intense surge of pain, then shut down.

Arietta grabbed a nearby rock jammed it onto Anise's head, causing the young teen to stagger back, "Ow! Is that any way to treat someone who's sparing your life?!" She asked angrily.

Arietta struggled to stand, "How dare you!? First you take Ion! Then you kill me! Now you try and pity me!? I'll never forgive you! NEVER!" She said as she limped towards Anise. The young Fon Master slowly walked backwards, keeping her distance from Arietta.

Zelos had killed both monsters with his Mystic Arte, the Shining Bind. And had been watching the fight for some time now, and was surprised at just how intense the fight had become.

As Arietta continued limping, she was screaming, "I hate you! I hate you! I'll kill you! I hate you!" Then suddenly, she fell to the floor, "I…hate…y-…" She then laid on the floor.

Dead.

Anise collapsed onto her knees. The intensity of the situation had just become too much for her to handle anymore.

Zelos walked up and picked the girl up, "You did good, kid." He told her.

Anise looked back over to Arietta's body, "I wish she hadn't died like that…not again."

Zelos nodded, "Sometimes it just can't be helped. No matter how hard we try to be the nice guys-or girls, there's always gonna be that one person who'll always hate you." Anise nodded. Zelos then walked her back outside to take her back to Asgard, knowing that Anise had been through enough for now.


End file.
